• In preparation for the future, JTA Executive Director Mike Blaylock has announced two major promotions at JTA. Blair Fishburn, the current CFO, will become deputy executive director/CFO and chief of staff Jacquie Gibbs is now chief administrative officer.
• Last year was record-breaking for cruise passengers out of Jacksonville with 185,434. The numbers for the previous four years, according to the Jacksonville Port Authority, are: 2008 — 76,474 (no vessels between April and September due to ship change); 2007 — 129,838; 2006 — 128,463; and 2005 — 138,289.
• Florida State College at Jacksonville’s “virtual cruise to Egypt” fundraiser for the college’s foundation is quickly approaching. It’s March 6 at the school’s Deerwood Center and Jaguars owners Wayne and Delores Weaver will serve as co-chairs. For more info, call 632-3237 or log on to floridastatecollegefoundation.org.
• Harold Tool and Laura Brown of the Players Championship are the guest speakers at next month’s meeting of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Tool is chair of this year’s tournament and Brown is manager of Charitable Outreach. The meeting is March 9 at San Jose Country Club.
• The Sulzbacher Center will cut the ribbon to its new Family Dormitory March 2 at 11 a.m.
• Erik Sharpe is the new president of the Northeast Florida Chapter of the National Association of Industrial & Office Properties. Sharpe is vice president and Jacksonville division manager for Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC and succeeds Oliver Barakat of CB Richard Ellis.
• School Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals is hosting a series of open community meetings next month to discuss the school system’s budget and other financial issues. March 11 he’s at Sandalwood, March 16 at Frank Peterson Academies of Technology, March 18 at Ribault High and March 23 at Mandarin High. The meetings start at 6 p.m.
• The City Council members list has been updated to include recently appointed Art Graham. Stan Johnson is his assistant and Graham can be reached at 630-1397.
• Hikers across Florida will take to the trails Saturday to help raise awareness of the Sunshine State’s natural treasures. The Trust for Public Land is organizing a local celebration of 20 years of successful public land conservation through the Florida Forever program. The local hike will take place at the Egans Creek Greenway starting at the Jasmine Street Entrance in Fernandina Beach and will start at 9 a.m. For more information call 850-567-3393.
• The next event for Northeast Florida Women Transportation Organization is a March 24 breakfast with Marty Lanahan, Florida Transportation Commission chair and Regions Bank North Florida executive, at the Florida Department of Transportation Jacksonville Training Center. The topic is “Transportation Trends.”